Hitting the Bull’s Eye
It took around 15 years of grit, determination and perseverance for the champion shooter and Arjuna awardee Anjum Moudgil, who began her shooting career in 2007 as an eighth standard student, to become World Number One in her discipline and an Olympian. Presently working as Sub- inspector with Punjab Police, she states that her constant pursuing of higher excellence in shooting has taught her more than her school.
Sports has made her learn to face failures at young age in life, which contributed to the transformation of an introvert girl to a confident lady. Competitive sports made her experience the highs and lows and also made her learn to stay away from the family for a very long time and in overcoming injuries. “All these experiences mould us into very strong humans who are ready to face challenges we face in our normal life,” explains Anjum who took up shooting while studying in Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School in Chandigarh.
Challenges & Triumphs
When she began shooting, there were not many people in India aware of this sport and that led her play without a coach for a long time. Besides lack of coach, she was also saddled with paucity of proper equipment. “I got the sponsors after five years of being in the sport and my first coach after being in the sport for 3 to 4 years,” discloses Anjum who believes resilience is not about avoiding adversity, but about navigating through it with strength, courage, and determination
“Winning my first major medal in the World Cup in Mexico and a silver in the Commonwealth Games in Australia, in 2018, gave me the confidence to win at world stage and eventually I ended up becoming the World Number One in 2022,” affirms the champion who has won two silver in World Championships in Changwon, South Korea and a silver in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia among her impressive medals tally.
However, like in sports, life too has its inevitable lows, which she has tackled with uncommon resilience and courage. “The most important learning lessons in my life came when I lost my loved ones and also I was out of the team for major competitions,” recollects the 30-year-old lady. That was when she realised how strong she is. She eventually overcame such sorrows and setbacks and started winning again.
Gender Dynamics
Anjum who did her Masters in sports psychology from DAV College, Chandigarh, views that women are naturally focused and resilient and are foundation of family. She is greatly influenced by her mother and acknowledges her unwavering support and belief in her sporting career. “She was with me even when I was not achieving much, at the beginning my career,” points out Anjum, who is also an avid abstract artist, having sold many of her artworks.
While discussing evolution in gender dynamics, Anjum confidently asserts that “The evolution of gender dynamics at workplace has seen progress in terms of increased representation of women in various industries and leadership roles. I can say that over my career of 15 years
